Joe Daley is a little heard of saxophone legend in the history of Chicago Jazz. This trio, featuring Hal Russell (of NRG ENSEMBLE fame) on drums and Chicago's Occult Bookstore proprietor Russell Thorne on bass, existed for only a handful of years before Daley's resistance to the free jazz and avant influences being brought into the group by the rhythm section caused the group to dissolve.

The tunes here reflect an interest in the coming wave of avant garde developing in mid 60s Chicago with the birth of the AACM and the Art Ensemble. Thorne's contributions are particularly influenced by his association with John Cage and eastern philosophy.

Although this record is titled "Live in Newport 1963" it is actually a studio record that has been masked to be live. On the original LP there were breaks between songs that had an announcer introducing each tune. Any audible applause or sounds were added in the studio to create the live feel. The almost apologetic tone of the announcer (reportedly Daley himself?) and the uneven mixing of his vocal level create a horrible framework for an otherwise highly innovative piece of avant garde jazz history.

(All of the announcer intros have been removed from the album here)


This audio is part of the collection: Betasound
It also belongs to collection: Netlabels

Date: 1963-01-01
Keywords: Joe Daley, Hal Russell, Russell Thorne, Jazz, Be Bop, Avant, Chicago, Occult

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Reviewer: stormyhawn - - May 19, 2012
Subject: Question Answered
Apart from the introductory remarks by Father Norman O'Connor (track 1 on the original LP), all of the spoken comments were indeed by Joe Daley himself. I met him about six years after this record was made and that is unmistakably his voice. I am also in total agreement about the importance of this album and would love to see this performance issued - in stereo - in its entirety - on CD.

Reviewer: Filboid - - June 15, 2010
Subject: Why not, worth asking...
Does anyone have a copy of this recording without all the digital burps? & could someone post the whole album, announcements & all?

Reviewer: ren van hirk - - January 7, 2010
Subject: glad to find it here
happy to find this here in the archive ... a great recording. i only have a scratched piece of vinyl of this. excellent free jazz